This invention relates to drainage systems for container gardening such as planting in flowerpots. In particular, the invention relates to apparatus and methods of providing a porous rock or perhaps even a pocket having a filling that can be placed over a hole of a flowerpot prior to or perhaps even after planting.
When planting plants in flowerpots, it may be desirable to provide adequate drainage of liquids, such as water and fertilizers, to the soil and plant(s). Root rot may be a common disease of container plants and even household plants. Affected plants, if not killed, may be stunted, of low vigor, may show desiccation, wilt, leaf scorch, dullness, yellowing of foliage and perhaps even other symptoms of drought stress, despite ample soil moisture.
Root rot may be caused by soil borne fungi including Pythium spp., Phytophthora spp., Fusarium spp., Rhizoctonia spp., and others. These fungi may invade through wounds or may directly penetrate stressed roots of a plant. Prolonged periods of excessive soil moisture, or water logging, may result in oxygen starvation of roots which may kill roots outright or perhaps render them more susceptible to invasion by root rotting organisms. Conditions of excessive soil moisture also favor the growth of many root-rotting pathogens.
It may be desirable to use pots with drainage holes in the bottom to allow water to drain out of the pot. A drainage hole may even flush excess salts from the soil. A problem associated with using a pot having a drainage hole may be that soil and the like may also be flushed out of the pot. Previous attempts to resolve this problem may have included using a coffee filter or even a paper towel and placing these over the hole at the bottom of the pot. These may not adequately provide a durable and effective filtration system. Also, some may use loose rocks, broken ceramics or the like and place them into the bottom of the pot over the drainage hole. Loose rocks or ceramics may either be too large and prevent drainage from a pot, or perhaps may be too small in which they can pass through a drainage hole.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,666 to Paulino describes a system for cultivating plants in a planting area having a ground surface where a hole is initially dug to a depth of three feet below the ground surface and a layer of ceramic tiles may be established at the bottom of the hole and covered by a layer of rocks. Also, the Paulino reference includes a pot having rocks and even a filter sheet placed above the rocks wherein wick assemblies may be in communication with the pot holes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,081 to Bradley et al., along with several other patents, a plant liner, specifically using sphagnum moss or the like as liners, for hanging baskets is described. This patent discusses a water resistant layer between a first and second layer of plant material. Liners such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,191 to Mayeda et al., may act as a highly efficient water controlling barrier and may reduce water waste because of its water controlling capabilities. This may be unlike the direction of the present invention which may provide a solution for adequate drainage of water from potted plants.